Filter frame handle construction



Nov. 20, 1956 D. J. GONZALEZ FILTER FRAME HANDLE: CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. l2, 1952 INVENToR. Do/v J. Go/vzmz FILTER FRAME HANDLE CoNsTRUCrIoN Don I. Gonzalez, Louisville, Ky., assigner to American Air Filter Company, Inc., Louisville, Ky., a corporation of Delaware Application September 12, 1952, Serial No. 309,342

6 Claims. (Cl. 18s-49) The present invention relates to lter frames and relates in particular to a filter frame handle construction.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a handle structure for a lter frame which may be attached after the frame is painted without marring the frame.

A further object is the provision of a handle structure for a lter frame or the like which is easily assembled and is held in place by bent metal tabs.

According to the present invention, a bail or loop handle is pivotally attached to a retainer plate, which in turn yis secured to a sheet metal member by camming tabs passing into apertures in the plate.

This results in a durable structure inexpensive and easy to manufacture and easy to assemble. 'Ihe structure also enables the frame to be painted or otherwise finished separate from the handle, because no soldering or welding operations are employed in attaching the handle to the frame. A further advantage is that the handle or bail may be finished separate from its attaching plate, thus eliminating an accumulation of paint in the hinge which does not dry easily.

The invention will be described in greater detail in the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawing illustrating the invention by way of example, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a front face elevation of a filter unit with the invention applied thereto, parts being broken away;

Figure 2 shows the handle in position for assembly on the frame;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view illustrating the handle securing step in the process of assembling the handle to the frame; and

Figure 4 is a section along line 4-4 of Figure 3.

The drawing illustrates a conventional rectangular ilter frame 1 containing a lter element 2, which is held in place by front and rear face flanges 3 on the frame 1. Filter frames of this character are conventionally provided along two oppositely disposed face flanges 3 with a handle 4, usually in the form of a bail. Normally the bail is secured to a plate by turning its ends inwardly into the opposite ends of a socket 5, the latter being welded to the outer face of the appropriate front ange 3. Since the welding operation will mar a painted or similarly linished surface, the securement of the plate 6 to the flange 3 must be performed before the nishing operation.

The present invention resides in a novel way of mechanically securing the plate 6 to the face ange 3, this particular way permitting the frame nishing operation to be performed either before or after the securernent, at the will of the manufacturer.

In accordance with the present invention, each of two oppositely disposed front face flanges 3 is marked or indented with two spaced index 1ines`7 to mark the location of the handle plate 6. The marked anges are each provided, between index lines 7, with a pair of oppositely disposed tabs 8. Each tab 8 is formed by slitting the flange metal along a U-shaped or open looped line 9, which, as

United States Patent O 2,771,154 ity-atented Nov. 2), `1956 r* ICC a whole, extends from its open end inwardly at an acute angle to the major plane of the adjacent side wall of the frame so that the tab S inclines in the same direction. The inclined edge 9 of the tab, which is nearest the adjacent side wall, provides a cam 9, as will be later explained.

In further accordance with thisinvention, each plate 6 is provided with a pair of openingslt). That edge 11 of each.opening,.which is nearest the long free edge 12 of the plate, is preferably straight and parallel to the edge 12 of the plate. Furthermore, when the plate 6 is rolled at one end to form the bail receiving socket 5, the rolling operation is limited to an angle of 270, more or less, so as to leave, between the rolled edge and the plate proper, a slot 13 having a width slightly greater than the thickness of the flange 3.

The plate 6 may now be slipped underneath the appropriate base ange 3 at the location indicated by the index lines 7. The plate is forced underneath ange 3 until the plate openings 10 underlie the tabs S and the cam edges 9 of the tabs cross over the straight edge 11 of the opening 10. In this position, a punch or peening tool 14 may be placed in contact with the outer face of each tab 8 and struck with a hammer to peen the tab inwardly. In doing this, the cam edge 9 of the tab will engage the edge 11 of plate opening 10 and cam the plate, through such engagement, inwardly until the inner edge 12 of the plate engages the frame. The plate 6 is so dimensioned that when its inner edge 12 engages the frame, the flange 3 will project into the slot 13 of the plate. The flange 3 should tit snugly within slot 13 so that when the frame is lifted by the handles, the flange will carry the load and prevent the plate from tending to tilt.

Having described my invention I claim:

l. A handle retaining structure for an open-faced lter frame having perimetric walls and face flanges to retain a lilter medium, at least one face flange extending from a perimetric wall laterally over the adjacent margin of the adjacent face of the frame and terminating in a free edge, comprising: a plate having an apertured at portion extending in face-toface engagement with the inner face of said one face flange and a handle carrying portion projecting laterally therefrom beyond the free edge of said one face llange; and a tab in said face flange turned inwardly into the aperture of said plate, an edge of said inturned tab providing a cam engaging an edge of said aperture and, through such engagement, urging said plate laterally along the underside of said face ange in the direction of the adjacent perimetric wall.

2. The structure of claim l wherein: said cam holds said plate with an edge of the plate in engagement with said frame.

3. The structure of claim l wherein: the handle carrying portion of said plate is rolled around the free edge of the face flange, the rolled edge of the plate and the liat portion thereof cooperating to provide a slot snugly receiving the face flange.

4. An air filter comprising: a ilter medium; a frame having a side wall circumferentially enclosing the ilter medium and a face flange extending from the side wall laterally inward over the filter medium, this flange presenting an inner face edge and outer and inner faces; a plate having one portion interposed between and held against inward and outward displacement by the lter medium and the face flange and another portion projecting beyond the free edge of the face flange, the interposed portion having an aperture underlying the face ange; a handle secured to the projecting portion of the plate; and a tab struck from the face ange to extend inwardly into the aperture of the plate to hold the plate against lateral removal.

5. The filter of claim 4 wherein: the projecting portion 3 of the plate is reversely rolled over the ange to form a handle receiving socket and to provide a slot between the rolled edge and the interposed portion of the plate, said slot having a width slightly greater than the thickness of the face flange.

6. The lter of claim 4 wherein: the tab engages an aperture forming edge of the plate and, through such engagement, urges the plate toward the adjacent side wall of the frame.

References Cited n the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,003,225 Wooten Sept. 12, 1911 4 Hart et al. Oct. 8, 1912 Mathis Aug. 31, 1926 Zalkind Jan. 3, 1939 Wilkinson Mar. 31, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Switzerland June l, 1946 

